Your2ndPlace

Ari Blackthorne gave me a tip - it seems that Ukash and Second Life now work together, according to the article ' Second Life Adopts Ukash Alternative'. I believe that the title is somewhat misleading; I don't think that Linden Lab has adopted Ukash. However, the original press release is better titled and does have some interesting information. In essence, people can use Ukash to purchase Linden dollars.

From Second Lifers Now Get the Cash Alternative:

...By stepping up to the Ukash terminals located in the Bulido Money Service outlets in the phenomenally successful virtual world, the millions of Second Lifer residents can now use Ukash cash vouchers to get Linden Dollars, the official Second life currency.

Cash consumers, and those without credit cards or with concerns about providing their financial details online, get Ukash vouchers from thousands of convenient locations across Europe...

...The transaction is completed in real time, putting Linden Dollars into the resident's account immediately. Residents can also make return visits to the Bulido website to get Linden Dollars without needing to be logged into Second Life, adding even more convenience to the Ukash and Second Life experience.

The Bulido Money Service is designed and operated by Crafty Studios Games Development GmbH of Pöttsching, Austria.

"We know that there are millions of Second Life residents unable to participate fully in the virtual economy as they can't get Linden Dollars so working with Bulido to provide a convenient and secure cash payment method will open up new opportunities to these currently excluded consumers," concludes Mark Chirnside.

Consumers can get Ukash from payment terminals found in newsagents, grocery stores, post offices and petrol forecourts across the UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany and The Netherlands. Ukash is also available online and via banks in these countries and a further 15 across Europe. There are no fees charged to get Ukash, meaning consumers can use the full amount of their Ukash when spending online....

It looks like a promising alternative for people who don't want to use their credit cards with Linden Lab/PayPal, and it looks even better for people who may not have (or want) credit cards.

Of course, it seems that the system does not reverse - I didn't read anything about Ukash certificates being issued for Linden Dollars, but in the case of a resident who doesn't have a credit card... it would be possible to use a Lindex exchange such as what is available through SLExchange to convert to PayPal... or they could convert very small amounts and have a small check sent to them when they do, at a cost of $10 US.

In essence, it still sucks for people who want to start their own small businesses and use their earnings in the real world - but it sure helps people get money into Second Life.

Technorati Tags: Business Linden Lab Metaverse Miscellaneous SecondLife Ukash Europe UK Ireland Spain Germany Netherlands